It’s hard to change!
The Book of Acts • Sermon • Submitted
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· 4 viewsIt can be hard to change. It is even harder to change when our entire community, and upbringing, affirms our outlook on things. In this message, you will see how God usher some MAJOR change into the early church.
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September 4th 2022
Series: The Book of Acts
Sermon Title: It’s hard to change!
Topic: Journey through the book of Acts.
Key Passages: Acts 10: 1-48
Sermon Blurb: It can be hard to change. It is even harder to change when our entire community, and upbringing, affirms our outlook on things. In this message, you will see how God usher some MAJOR change into the early church.
Sermon:
Well, hello everyone!
Family Moment
Like normal for us, we pick up where we left off in the book of Acts.
If you have your Bible with you…open it back up to Acts 10
New Person Bible Talk
App Talk
If you are new or newer to family church we are so happy you are here today!
Let me catch you up.
We are on a journey through one of the books in our Bibles called Acts.
The book of Acts is a GREAT one for churches to study because it is all about how the early church operated right after Jesus launched it!
Let’s backtrack, let me remind you of some important details and walk forward today….
We saw Jesus in Acts 1 say to stay where they were and wait for Jesus to send them a helper.
We saw who that helper was in Acts 2, it was Jesus’ Spirit sent to live inside them and help them.
Then in Acts 2 all the way up to this point we have seen the church exploding in growth.
Then we see some church people, and church leaders, are telling everyone about Jesus and the church is growing.
Then in Acts 3 we saw some CRAZY miracles happen and how the church kept growing.
In Acts 4 we see how the early church preached.
In Acts 5-9 we see some persecution of the church.
PAUSE
So, with that background, we pick up today….
Acts 10: 1-48 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.
3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.
The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
Now I want to pause here,
I want to draw your attention to a few things.
Look in your Bible…..
Cornelius was a centurion.
Which also means Cornelius was a Roman.
Being a Centurion also meant Cornelius commanded at least 100 other soldiers to do the bidding of the emperor.
And I want to pause here because there is something I want to make sure military people see.
Military people…..
I know some of you struggle with what you did in your past.
I know a lot of you struggle with things you have seen.
You struggle with things you were commanded to do.
Let’s be real….
There is NO question Cornelius had killed people.
There is NO question that since Cornelius was a commander, he would have issued orders to kill people.
Death was a very common part of their job.
All kinds of hard things would have been a part of their job.
And if you know Roman culture…if you questioned the orders from above you were killed or tortured.
So don’t think for a second that somehow this guy had lived a squeaky clean life….
PAUSE
But do NOT miss what is said in verse 2…put that back on the screens.
2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing;
Look at what the Bible CLEARLY says.
In the midst of doing his job….
In the midst of at times maybe doing things he wished he did not have to do.
The Bible is clear Cornelius worshiped God. He prayed…and he led his family to God….
And bear in mind Cornelius was NOT a Jew!!!!!
He would not have been accepted to enter any of the Jewish temples because 1 - he was not a Jew and 2 - he killed people or was around people who were killed so he was unclean.
PAUSE
Let me share another thing that makes him so interesting….
It is not clear how he came to believe in God or why he gave so freely to those in need, but he did.
Now……Understand in the Roman culture you did not give away money to people in need unless it furthered your purpose.
So….. what he was doing was not normal.
But in the midst of a culture that told him not to do anything kind…..he did….and he did it freely!!
And look at what God said to him in verse 4,
“Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.”
PAUSE
That is a BIG statement!!!!
Because…..
Culture would not have accepted what he was doing.
The Jewish church of that day would not have accepted what he was doing.
But God looked down and accepted it!!!!
Amazing, isn’t it????
PAUSE
Doesn’t that show you how forgiving and generous our God is!
That he is not looking to hurt you.
He isn’t looking to judge you!
He isn’t looking to catch you doing bad things!
That God is instead looking for those little nuggets of faith in us to CELEBRATE!
PAUSE
How different is that view of God….vs what a lot of us think of God….
PAUSE
I hope that gives all of us more hope; because see we all fall short of perfection.
God looks down on all of us in the midst of our brokenness and if we honor Him, He accepts it!
I mean right here God is speaking to someone that the GOOD CLOSE followers of God would say would NEVER hear from God!
Don’t miss that!
PAUSE
You and I have no idea who God is working in.
We have no idea who God is working through.
And so often what we see in the Bible is God working through the people we would least expect…..
PAUSE
Let’s keep reading…..Verse 7
7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.
Let me show you a map. (Caesarea)
You can see Caesarea to your left on the Mediterranean Sea. He sent his soldier from there down to Joppa, which is about 30 miles due south.
Think about this.
Cornelius SOOOOO believed what God spoke this into his Spirit…..
That he sent a man 30 miles south to another town to find this person!
To find someone he did NOT know.
Literally to find a needle in a haystack of people.
PAUSE
Think about how crazy that sounds.
Let’s put this in context….
What would you do if you were eating your egg salad sandwich at work…..
And you kind of drift off….and feel like you have a dream or vision…
And in that dream, you felt God say to you…..
Hey….YOU….whatever your name is…..
I want you to go to South Haven….
Because in South Haven is by Lake Michigan.
And there is a guy there named Peter who works with animal skins.
And God says you need to go find him and bring back here.
PAUSE
Let’s be honest how many of you would think you ate some bad egg salad!!!!
Let me see those hands!!!
YA!!!
I think most of us would!
PAUSE
But for some reason this soldier….. he says….ok….
And again….
This is a guy who would have been shunned if he tried to walk into a church back then!
A guy most of the religious people would have avoided!
He LISTENS to God and obeys……
Maybe precisely because he understands how to follow because he is a soldier….and soldiers follow their commanders’ orders no matter what.
Maybe we as Christians could learn a lot from the military people in our church…..
PAUSE
Let’s keep reading…..
You are about to see how much more there is to learn in this story….
Verse 9….
9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance.
Pause here….
For those of you who are newer to church.
Peter was one of the closest followers of Jesus on earth.
Peter is a leader in the early church.
Peter is a Godly man.
So what will Peter do when he has God come to him in a vision or dream…..
And don’t miss the contrast you are about to see!!!!
Verse 11
11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds.
13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”
Pause here
Let me explain something.
You are probably thinking what is the big deal about eating 4-footed animals, reptiles, and birds???
I mean last time I check….
Cows are delicious…..
Chickens are delicious….
And reptiles….well your just weird if you eat those….
I am with Peter on that one!
PAUSE
So why did Peter say this…..
Well, remember Peter was a Jew.
And, yes was a disciple of Jesus Christ; but he was still a Jew.
As you might know, there are certain foods….. that still to this day…. Jewish people will NOT eat because in the Old Testament of our Bibles God defined certain animals as unclean.
So, in Peter’s dream, God asks him to eat something unclean.
God asks him to DO something that his entire life has said is WRONG.
Something his church friends and family ALL say is WRONG!
And so….like most of us would do if we are honest….
He says NO WAY!
He says: God I am not going to do something that you have defined as unclean!
He must be thinking God is testing him and he is not going to fail the test…..
PAUSE
He responds the OPPOSITE way of Cornelius…
PAUSE
Let’s keep reading….Verse 15
15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”
So God repeats himself…..
But Peter is stubborn…..
Are any of you stubborn…..
All of you in relationships out there….who is more stubborn….
You stubborn folks….let’s learn from Peter….
16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.
Pause here…
Not once!
Not twice!
But three times God had to tell Peter to NOT be tied down by the traditions he was raised with.
Don’t miss this church!!!!!
3 times….. Peter do NOT be tied down by the Jewish tradition.
Peter….. remember that when Jesus came he CHANGED everything!
PETER…. remember Jesus flipped everything upside down!
Peter….. we are no longer tied to the laws of the Old Covenant!
Peter….. we have a new Covenant with God!
PAUSE
But see Peter is like so many of us…
Peter had walked with Jesus for years and saw the new ways of Jesus.
Peter was the rock Jesus’ said he would build his church on.
Peter knew God was doing something new….
BUT…..
But…. in Peter’s mind there was still a limit to what God would change.
And his whole life he had lived a certain way!!!!
How could God call him to change now that he was a fully grown man?
PAUSE
Do you struggle with that?
Do you struggle to accept change in our country?
Do you struggle to accept change in our church?
Do you struggle to accept change in music?
Do you struggle to accept change in your family?
Do you struggle to accept change in your place of work?
If so…..you might be able to learn something from Peter…..
PAUSE
And more importantly; what was God really saying???
Is this just something about animals or is something deeper here?
Let’s see…..Verse 17
17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate.
18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.
19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”
Peter has to be thinking…..
Ok great here comes the answer to what this dream meant!!!
Thanks, God, for sending someone to help me understand!
So….
21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”
22 The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people.
Note it does NOT say Cornelius is a Jew.
He is NOT a Jew but respected by Jews.
He is not a part of Peter’s club…
God is sending an OUTSIDER to Peter….
But why….
But what could this mean?
Why would God send a dirty Roman to teach a Godly man?
PAUSE
Then Cornelius’ servants say….
A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” 23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
Peter has to be asking himself,
What is going on?
God is speaking to people that do not follow him?
Cornelius is not a Jew….
He does not come from God’s chosen people…
Cornelius is not a follower of Jesus….
Why is God speaking to him?
What does this mean?
I mean Cornelis isn’t even a ½ Jew….
He is just a dirty unclean Roman killing machine!
Peter has to be thinking…..
God what are you doing?
Let’s keep reading.
The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along.
Note that Peter takes along his disciples to learn what God is up to…
Do NOT forget church!!!!
We are ALL called to be investing in other people’s spiritual development.
Verse 24….
24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.
Stop there…..
Cornelius is SO excited about what God is doing in his life that he invites everyone he is closet to come hear….
PAUSE
Think about that level of passion for God and compare it to your own…
Are you so passionate about God that you are going to invite people into your home to hear more about God?
Or are you too busy for that?
Or are you too afraid of what your family and friends might think?
Are you too busy to lead or be in a small group….
Are you too afraid to invite your friends, family, co-workers and neighbors to church with you….
Because bear in mind, that Cornelius is a Roman…
He is a prominent man in his community….
And if this meeting goes badly…
He will lose face….
He will lose respect…
Something that none of us want…
But in Roman culture, this meant far more than it does in ours.
And he was risking it all….
Verse 25….
25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence.
Again, pause here and think about the humility….
In a culture where humility was weakness…
Cornelius does NOT care!!!
Cornelius shows humility to a man of God!
PAUSE
Could you respond like that?
Would your pride not allow you to?
How many of us even respect people God has placed over us anymore?
PAUSE
Verse 26
26 But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”
27 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile.
Stop there…
Remember what I said earlier…
Jews did not associate with non-Jews.
And Peter LEADS out by letting them know he should NOT be here!
The Jewish church of that day and age would NOT have allowed this meeting to happen if they could have stopped it they would have.
He Peter on to say:
But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”
Do you hear what he learned from his dream?
Do you see it church?
That even though his church taught…
Even though Jews taught….
That certain foods AND people were unclean and to be avoided….
That it was NOT the case any more!
That Jesus changed all that!
Peter says God says I need to let my church traditions GO….
I need to release the tradition I was raised under…
That is a MASSIVE SHIFT in ideology!
And one…..that honestly I know a lot of people struggle with still today.
We struggle with…..what we want….vs what helps us reach more people for Jesus….
So how does this Roman respond….
30 Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor.
32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’
33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”
34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.
36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached—
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.
41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.
42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.
43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles.
46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.
Stop there…
The good church going folks…
The Jewish disciples Peter brought were ASTONISHED at the change God just brought to His church.
How God CLEARLY accepted them AND poured out his spirit on them!
Then Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”
48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
Peter didn’t say….So now let’s make them go meet with the Elders and see if they are worthy of being baptized.
Peter didn’t say….So now let’s make them take a class before they can be baptized.
God moved in people’s hearts and all the people that saw this did not want to stand in the way of God…and they immediately baptized them.
PAUSE
Think about the hurdles the many churches put up BLOCKING the way for people from their next step with God….
I would encourage you to scour the Bible and see if you can find those hurdles, those classes, those requirements we have placed on people…. in the Bible……
I want to end today by letting you all know something…our only point today…
God loves you. God accepts you.
Repeat
PAUSE
I hope you have seen so far in this series….how many people have had to change their outlook on life.
Change their lifestyle
Change how they did ministry
Change who they were willing to talk to
We have seen so much change and who led it all?
Really…who has led it…..God….
It is my prayer as we move through this amazing book in our Bibles…. that we will all begin to dismantle our own personal kingdom focus for His Kingdom’s focus.
So here is my challenge for you all this week.
Life Application: Ask yourself, who around me have I not tried to reach for God yet?
Take time this week to begin investing in that person.
Prayer!!
Offering!